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Saturday, April 2, 2016

1956: Elvis Presley performed "Heartbreak Hotel", "Shake Rattle and Roll" and "Blue Suede Shoes" on The Milton Berle Show live from the USS Hancock in San Diego. Nielsen Ratings estimated that one out of four Americans tuned in.1958: Bill Haley & the Comets began a month-long tour of South America, performing in Buenos Aires. (Note: many websites claim the tour began April 9. Haley and his group boarded a plane in Miami on April 2 and arrived in South American on April 3. According to the book 'Bill Haley' by Otto Fuchs, the Comets began their tour on April 3.)1960: Elvis recorded "It's Now Or Never" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" at the RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee for his upcoming album.1960: The Everly Brothers made their U.K. concert debut at the New Victoria Theatre in London. The Crickets opened for the Brothers on the tour, a year-and-a-half after the death of Buddy Holly. (Note: many websites report that the tour began on April 6, but the correct date is April 3, as reported in the March 28th edition of 'Billboard' magazine.)1961: Paul Anka starred on Make Room for Daddy on CBS-TV.

When Barbra Streisand hooked up with the genius Barry Gibb for her Guilty album, it gave her "Woman In Love", the title song, "What Kind Of Fool" and this highly underrated song:

"Promises"

Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb

Written by Barry and Robin Gibb

Here by my sideAre you close enough to take me to your paradiseOr am I going down to my lonelinessCould you be loving me more or lessDo you knowAre you ready for the feelingCan you learn to growOut in a world of tears we,We're hanging onWe come together,We find the sun

(You all over me, all over)You're the lightI am the love don't let me die away(Die away)I am forever we are born to makePromises to be there(Promises to be there)Promises to be there

Life, where the few may not ever find a heavenI could be with youOut in a world where nights they don't ever endWe got each other my love, my life, my friendYou all over me, all overYou're the lightI am the love don't let me die awayI am forever we are born to makePromises to love me(Promises to love me)Promises to love me

Out in a world where nights they don't ever ever endWe got each other my love, my life, my friend

You all over me, all overYou're the lightI am the love don't let me die awayI am forever we are born to makePromises to be there(Promises to be there)Promises to be thereYeah...Yeah...Yeeeeeeeeah(Die away)

I am the love don't let me die awayI am forever we are born to makePromises...Promises...Promises...Promises...(Promises to be therePromises to be there)

Promises to be therePromisesPromises to be therePromisesPromises to be therePromisesPromises...Aaaah!

Friday, April 1, 2016

1955: Elvis Presley, Johnny Horton and Floyd Cramer were featured on the famous Louisiana Hayride broadcast from Shreveport Auditorium.1955: We first heard of Pat Boone on this date as his first single "Two Hearts" debuted on the chart and on the radio.

1955: Johnny Ace reached double digits as "Pledging My Love" topped the R&B chart for the tenth week.1964: The Beatles made it four #1 songs in the U.K. with "Can't Buy Me Love". The single scored 2.1 million in advanced copies, still an all-time record.1964: The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around", which would soon become their first #1 song.1965: The television show Ready Steady Goes Live! premiered in the U.K.1965: The Who made their debut on radio on the U.K. show Joe Loss Pop Show.1966: Sonny & Cher, the Turtles, the Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, Otis Redding and Jan & Dean all appeared at a charity concert at the Hollywood Bowl.1966: SSgt. Barry Sadler spent a fifth week at #1 on the Adult chart with "The Ballad Of The Green Berets".

Thursday, March 31, 2016

1955: George Martin became the head A&R man at Parlophone Records, a division of EMI.

1957: The Everly Brothers released the single "Bye Bye Love". (Note: some websites claim the song was released in March. Unfortunately, there are no credible sources as to the exact date, but our best research indicates it was on April 1.)1957: Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers began a two-week run at the London Palladium.

1961: The hard-working Beatles kicked off 92 straight shows at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany. The foursome played for seven hours a night on weekdays and eight hours on weekends. (Note: some websites claim the tour was from March 26-July 2. On March 26, the Beatles performed at the Casbah Club in Liverpool, and didn't arrive in Hamburg until the 27th, according to 'The Beatles Bible'. According to the source, their last show was July 1 before traveling back to England.)

This singer put out some incredible music, and don't just listen to the singles--plenty of worthy music on her albums:

Is It A Crime

Sade

Written by Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman and Andrew Hale

It may come, it may come as some surprisebut I miss youI could see through, all of your liesBut I stll miss youHe takes her love, but it doesn't feel like mineHe tastes her kiss, her kisses are not wine, they're not mine He takes, but surely she can't give what I'm feeling nowShe takes, but surely she doesn't know how

Is it a crimeIs it a crimeThat I still want youAnd I want you to want me too

My love is wider, wider than vitoria lakeMy love is taller, taller than the empire state

It dives and it jumps and it ripples like the deepest oceanI can't give you more than that, surely you want me back

Is it a crimeIs it a crimeThat I still want youAnd I want you to want me too

My love is wider than vitoria lakeTaller than the empire stateIt dives and it jumpsI can't give you more than that, surely you want me back

Is it a crimeIs it a crimeThat I still want youAnd I want you to want me too

It dives and it jumpsAnd it ripples like the deepest OceanI can't give you more than thatSurely you want me back

Here are 10 more of The Top 100 #2 songs of the Rock Era. Just because they may have finished second during their time, most of these beat out #1 songs at other times of the Rock Era. Some proved they had more durability in the long run than the #1 songs that beat them out at the time!

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

1949: The 45 rpm single record was first introduced by RCA Victor, one year after the LP record was introduced by Columbia. Both provided better sound quality and longer playing time than the 78 rpm that had been the standard.1956: Brenda Lee made her television debut on Ozark Jambouree on ABC, singing "Jambalaya".1957: Elvis Presley played two concerts at Olympia Stadium in Detroit before 24,000 fans.

1958: Chuck Berry released "Johnny B. Goode". 1958: "Tequila" by the Champs took over at #1 on the R&B chart. It went on to become one of The Top 10 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*.1959: The Jimmie Rodgers Show debuted on NBC-TV.1960: Lonnie Donegan debuted at #1 on the U.K. Singles chart with "My Old Man's A Dustman".

This woman with the amazing voice burst onto the scene with her second album, Crimes of Passion, and won four consecutive Female Rock Vocalist Performance awards at the Grammys. Here's one of the many great songs from that album by Pat Benatar:

"I'm Gonna' Follow You"

Pat Benatar

Lyrics and Music by Billy Steinberg

I'm gonna follow you, 'til I wear you down
I'm gonna follow you, 'cause this here's my town
You don't know these streets the way that I do (I do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (I do, I do)
Ooo, ooo...

I'm gonna follow you, 'til I know your timing
You'll turn some corner soon, and find you can't get by me
You don't know these streets the way that I do (I do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (I do, I do)

You see yourself as some kind of lily of the valley
You come around here in your ballet slippers padding on my alley
And you know that you can't dance
'Cause you know you never had the chance
I'm gonna dance for you!

Ooo, ooo...

I'm gonna follow you, 'til I wear you down
I'm gonna follow you, 'cause this here's my town
You don't know these streets the way that I do (I do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (I do, I do)

You see yourself as some kind of lily of the valley
You come around here in your ballet slippers padding on my alley
And you know that you can't dance
'Cause you know you never had the chance
I'm gonna dance for you!

A lot of people focus on #'s or artists attaining #1 songs. That's very difficult to do, but please, show some love for the #2 songs. Many are strong enough to make The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*, as I pointed out yesterday, and several others are very close. We're featuring the runners-up over the next nine days in our special salute to The Top 100 #2 Songs, and here are 10 more:

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

1957: Buddy Knox became the first rock artist to write his own #1 song as "Party Doll" topped the charts.1959: "Venus" was her name, but it was also the name of the #1 song that Frankie Avalon had for the fourth week.

1963: Skeeter Davis prevailed on the Easy Listening chart for a third week with "The End Of The World".1963: The Chiffons climbed to #1 with "He's So Fine", which would go on to lead all songs for four weeks. Ruby & the Romantics slipped with "Our Day Will Come" and Skeeter Davis owned #3--"The End Of The World".1966: The Barbra Streisand special Color Me Barbra aired on CBS-TV.1966: 85 people were arrested in Paris, France following a Rolling Stones concert. The Stones even spread their violence to a nice country like France.1967: Photo work for the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album began at Chelsea Manor Photo Studios in London. The group continued work on "With A Little Help From My Friends" by adding guitars, tambourine and backing vocals.1968: David Bowie made his debut with the Lindsay Kemp mime troupe in Pierrot in Turquoise.1968: The Yardbirds performed and recorded Yardbirds Live at the Anderson Theatre in New York City. 1968: "Lady Madonna" hit #1 in the U.K.

Patty Duke, Oscar-winning actress who also had four hits in the Rock Era, including the #8 song "Don't Just Stand There" in 1965, has died. Duke, who died of sepsis from a ruptured intestine in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, was 69.

There were over 1,100 #1 songs in the first 60 years of the Rock Era and many of those made The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* book. Many non-#1 songs also made the list, with more long-term strength than several #1 songs.There have been over 500 songs to peak at #2 in the Rock Era, and many of those are good enough to make The Top 500*. Over the next 10 days, we'll feature 10 of The Top 100 #2 Songs of the Rock Era*. If you have the book, you already know that 48 #2 songs are included in The Top 500 Songs*, and you have the jump on everyone else by knowing the order that they rank.For the rest of you, as we play these 100 songs, try to guess their order, and then we'll reveal where they rank in The Top 5000 Songs Database* when we have played all 100!

Monday, March 28, 2016

1963: The Shadows had their fifth #1 in the U.K. with "Foot Tapper".1964: The Hollies, the Dave Clark Five, the Kinks and the Mojos began a U.K. tour at the Coventry Theatre.1966: Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, was injured during a concert in Marseilles, France after a fan threw a chair at the stage, with the left leg of the chair hitting the surprised Mick just below the left eye. Jagger had to have eight stitches.1966: Fans mobbed the Walker Brothers after they entered their hotel in Cheshire, England. Two group members suffered concussions.1967: The Rolling Stones appeared at the Stadthalle in Bremen, Germany along with opening acts the Easybeats and the Creation. 1967: The Beatles began work on a new song "With A Little Help From My Friends". The track required 10 takes of the rhythm arrangement.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

1942: Frank Sinatra appeared on the charts for the first time with "Night And Day".1957: Elvis Presley appeared live at the Chicago International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois.

1958: Eddie Cochran recorded "Summertime Blues".1958: Buddy Holly began the first night of a 43-date tour with two performances at Brooklyn's Paramount Theater. The show produced by Alan Freed also featured Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Danny & the Juniors, Frankie Lymon, the Diamonds, the Chantels, Larry Williams, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Billy Ford, Ed Townsend, Jo-Ann Campbell and the Pastels.

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About Me

I worked at KFXD-AM & FM in Boise, Idaho for 10 years, serving as Research Director, Music Director and Sports Director among other things. During this time, I researched, organized and produced several music specials including The Top 500 Songs of All-Time and The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era.
I started Inside The Rock Era in 2011 to counter the sea of misinformation about rock music in general and specifically which songs, albums and artists were the most successful. Since that time, Inside The Rock Era has received over one million page views.
I am the author of two books, The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* and The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*, both available in softcover and Kindle on Amazon and on this website.